For the ancient philosopher Heraclitus, πóλεμος (polemos or strife) is “the father of all things,” an aphorism that seeks not to encourage actual warfare, but rather to acknowledge that conflict and struggle in one form or another bring to light what is finer and higher. Lest this be shocking, we should remember that Christ Himself reminds us that He came not … [Read more...] about Chesterton and the Noble Value of Declaring Enemies
Philosophy Matters
The Unbearable Essentializing of Being: Metropolitan Kallistos Ware’s Sorrowful Joy of Sex
Sexual identities, in contrast to sexual practices or passions, are a relatively new concept. Only recently were passions taken to define people, i.e. seen as constituting an identity or essence, such as homosexual or heterosexual—an understanding that even many secular circles now scorn as untenable. It is, then, discouraging to see a highly respected Orthodox hierarch … [Read more...] about The Unbearable Essentializing of Being: Metropolitan Kallistos Ware’s Sorrowful Joy of Sex
Pastoral Ponderings: The Analogy of Freedom
Originally published on July 31, 2016. Father Pat’s Pastoral Ponderings Human freedom is an experience before it is a concept. Indeed, even as concept, freedom is extremely elusive. It is hardly surprising that modern science, concerned with precision and objectivity, is distinctly uncomfortable with it. The “scientific method,” with its emphasis on … [Read more...] about Pastoral Ponderings: The Analogy of Freedom
Myth of Enchantment
By Peter Leithart Once upon a time, magic was a mighty force, but not anymore. Once Britain was filled with fairies, but no one ever sees an elf nowadays. My opening paragraph may sound like a tale from Max Weber or Charles Taylor, but the first sentence summarizes a regular motif of English folklore and the second is a paraphrase of part of the “Wife of … [Read more...] about Myth of Enchantment
Meaning, Behavior, and Upright Apes: Why Materialism Doesn’t Work
Morality for the materialist (or physicalist) must be a form of subterfuge, a sleight of hand. You have to forget the foundation on which it stands. Once that forgetfulness is in place, then the dialogue can progress as if it were referring to real things rather than contrivances that arise from the neurons of a walking bag of chemicals. Nihilism is compatible with materialism … [Read more...] about Meaning, Behavior, and Upright Apes: Why Materialism Doesn’t Work